Clarity Of Life
by Flying Star
Summary: The end of my Sleep Doesn't Come Easy trilogy, finally! Jeremie had his thoughts and Aelita had hers. Now the two will find out just what they mean to each other. Sorry, summary sucks. JA Please, if you read, could you review?


Clarity Of Life

By Flying Star

Disclaimer: A whole new world, completely outside my grasp. In other words, I don't own Code Lyoko.

1

The end of my trilogy, finally. Takes place about a couple months after Jeremie and Aelita's respective stories. Jeremie wants to talk, Aelita wants to talk, will either hear what they wanted to hear?

**Bold **with _italics _means deeper thoughts, kinda talking to themselves kind of thing.

_Italics:_ means unnoticed actions.

" " : Talking

' ' : thinking

1 : Section breaks

1

Jeremie rolled the pencil eraser between his fingers, worry clearly evident in his features. With a muted sigh, he let the rubber nub fall, his troubled look fading into a grim frown.

Another day, another XANA attack. The frown deepened. Over a dozen attacks in the last month alone to be exact. The most recent on the local hospital.

XANA's method of attack? Any hospital apparatus it could get it's 'hands' on, needles, gurneys, scapels...

Shuddering slightly, he rubbed his shoulder, still feeling the sharp bite of the scapel's blade, embedding deep, deep enough to actually pin him to a hospital gurney. XANA leaving him there to watch helplessly as it attacked scores of people.

**Mocking me.**

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment,before returning to his side as he recalled the cries of fear from the panicked crowd, people running everywhere. The screams of children...

_The hand clenched, becoming a fist..._

His only consolation, had been that miraculously no one had died.

**Too much, it's becoming too much...**

His eyes opened. The wound was no longer there, of course. Erased in the time reversal, as was the devastation wreaked by the insane virus.

It never ceased to amaze him, and scare him, at the lengths which XANA went to exterminate their race. To attack a hospital, a place of healing, how could it do it?

Trains, light posts, school light sockets, those attacks seemed to pale in comparision. For XANA to actually be able to take over an entire hospital, even for that short bit of time, it just didn't seem feasible.

**_But it had happened_.**

His thoughts took a different turn. And Aelita, he couldn't forget her. Well, he never did. But that was beside the point.

Jeremie plucked a pencil from the many scattered in front of him, twirling it absentmindedly as his gaze focused on the newest anti-virus formula currently displayed.

XANA wanted her dead just as much as it wanted to do away with their team. And though he won't admit it to his teamates, his friends. It hurts that he can't do more to protect her, to physically protect her from the dangers of her world.

_The pencil stopped twirling.._

He could enter Lyoko, if he wanted to, except...

_His thumb pressed against it's base..._

He's a thinker, not a fighter, that's what he is.

_The pressure increased..._

His skills were best used clacking away at the supercalculator's keys, working behind the scenes. He knows it...

_**...and loathes it.**_

The sudden snap of breaking wood startled Jeremie out of his reverie, his eyes going to the broken pencil.

He shook his head, mentally chiding himself for his lapse in reasoning as he tossed the remains into the trash. ' I've had this conversation before, when my self doubts started to overwhelm me. I'm not going to cross that bridge again.'

_**You're lying...**_

He reached for the computer mouse, scrolling through the various codes before saving and closing the window with a frustrated sigh. ' I'm kidding myself, my fears are coming true. XANA has become stronger, so much stronger. While we're still a meager group of four, and I'm still light years away from bringing Aelita here permanently.'

_**You love her...**_

Yes he does, having self-confessed months ago. And yet he still can't bring himself to tell her. What's stopping him, what's keeping him from doing so?

_**Because it's easier. That way it won't hurt if she dies in Lyoko. If she doesn't exist, it can't hurt...**_

" NO!" Jeremie banished the thought immediately. He won't go back to that way of thinking. Aelita IS real! He sighed, massaging his temple to relieve the headache he felt coming on, before facing the now blank computer screen.

" I'm not sure if I can tell her how I feel, not yet."

_**And if you don't...**_

One thing was certain for him as he stood up. " I should at least speak to Aelita about today."

1

' I should speak to Jeremie about today.' Aelita though as she knelt before the transparent screen, browsing sites with information on _his _world.

Earth, so fascinating, with numerous wonders still undiscovered. Mammals, flora, structures of human and natural design, the list was practically endless. Deep down she wished to experience everything his world had to offer.

_**But you can't, not until...**_

The aftermath of XANA's latest attack doesn't elude her, her mortality once again exposed, life nearly extinguished by XANA's creature's. But, it wasn't just that.

_Her hand clenched._

Jeremie, had been damaged by XANA. She remembered, thinking back to the boy's condition as he'd stumbled into the supercalculator room, pale and in pain as he collapsed into the command chair. Ignoring her questions about his torn shirt and blood drenched shoulder, he had only asked her if she was alright.

_**Thinking more of you than of himself...**_

Her right hand brushed against the transparent panel, bringing forth basic information on human emotions, before clasping into her left hand as she sighed. No matter how hard she tried, the truth was impossible to forget. She's not real.

So why did he care for her?

A sudden chime drew her attention, her head raising as his call came through, hands automatically closing the current window before her. A screen with his face popped up seconds later.

" Hello, Jeremie." She couldn't muster up a cheerful greeting, her voice sounding rather forced to her ears.

" Hi."

He too, seemed subdued. " Do what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" She asked.

" I want to talk, alone."

" But we are alone, Jeremie."

A shake of his head. " No, I mean I want to talk to you in person, alone."

" You wish for me to be materialized?"

" Yes."

" For the purpose of talking?"

" Yes."

She smiled lightly. " Very well, I shall head to the nearest tower for materialization." ' And maybe I can get some answers of my own.' She thought.

1

The cylander's doors slid open, revealing her prone form still lying on the bottom, motionless until...

A slight twitch of a hand, and her body began uncurling. Each precise movement was one of caution, her head raising to scrutinize the room with wary eyes.

Jeremie waited patiently, already accustomed to her routine.

There was no danger to her here. It seemed logical though that her actions were born of pure instinct, mind and body subconsciously on high alert until her surroundings were deemed safe. A sure result stemming from the dangers she faced in her world.

After a few moments, she stood, her posture telling Jeremie that she felt safe. The small smile on her face doesn't hurt either.

A second later her expression changed, becoming downcast.

" Jeremie, could we go up to the roof?"

The words were spoken softly, almost timidly. Something was bothering her. " Sure, Aelita. We'll be able to see the sunrise."

They reached the roof, Jeremie situating himself on a concrete block, while Aelita leaned against a pillar, her eyes looking over the rooftop, up to the stars above.

After a moment he turned to her. " Aelita, I'm worried."

She looked surprised, her eyes going to him. " About what?"

Jeremie shook his head. " A lot of things really." He let his legs swing idly. " Today's attack made me realize how, vunerable we are. How easy it was for XANA to catch us off guard, how close I came to losing you." He absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder. " I hate that I can't do more for you, to protect you and my friends."

" But you do, you protect us to the best of your ability." Her gaze had returned to the stars, the girl not questioning him further.

_**A liability...**_

" It doesn't feel that way to me. Having to sit behind the supercalculator, wondering if you'll make it to the tower," his voice lowered, " and knowing that I can't be there to physically help you."

There, he'd said it, not quite a confession, but... He looked to her, expecting her to argue his logic...

" The stars are beautiful, don't you think?"

" What?"

1

" The stars, like little points of light." She sighed, before turning away from the pillar.

" I understand your fears, Jeremie. For I've had similar worries about the safety of you and your friends. Many a cycle have I sat and wondered if I made the right decision, to enlist your group into my war. If I had to do it over again...

She felt his hand grab hers, their eyes meeting before he spoke. " Aelita, don't talk like that. I've never met someone quite like you. When I'm with you, I feel so happy. And if not for this war...

His gaze turned slightly, seeming to look past her, his voice becoming distant. " I've come to understand that I can't hide my feelings of you, for you. I may not have another day." He gave a short laugh before looking back to her. " I love you too much to just let you go." He paused, suddenly realizing what he'd just said.

Aelita stared at him, feeling somewhat lost. It wasn't that she didn't know his feelings, but she wasn't prepared, not at all. " Jeremie, how can you love me? I..." She began, before a finger pressed to her lips to silence her.

" You're Aelita." He answered her with a soft smile. " That's all I need to know."

His smile faded into a confused frown as Aelita gently pulled her hand free from his, her gaze both pleading and forgiving.

" I'm sorry Jeremie." She tugged her shirt sleeve, watching him from the corner of her eye. " But I can't accept your love." Her gaze briefly went skyward, observing a few birds dotting the slowly lightening sky, before returning to Jeremie. " The birds are real, the sky is real, your world is real, but I'm _not _real." she continued tonelessly. " And you can't love something that isn't real." The distress she saw in his eyes was almost enough to make her take back what she said, but she remained firm. ' I can't back down, I have to let him see the reality.'

_**Not real...**_

She wrapped her arms around her waist, warding off an unfelt chill. ' It's for the best.' She thought, believing her words. She expected him to argue, or walk away. So it comes as a surprise when she felt his hand grasp hers again, and looked up to see tears in his eyes.

" That's what's been bothering you?" He asked quietly.

1

'This wasn't what I'd expected.' The young man thought as he wiped the moisture from his eyes. His original intentions had been to really just talk with Aelita. To see if she found his fears to be unfounded, to give clarity to his thoughts.

But now he found himself staring at his virtual friend in surprise. Her sudden confession, her telling him that she felt as unreal as the cold data flowing through the supercalculator has pushed his fears back into the dark recesses of his mind. His own fears seem petty to his ears.

Unable to speak further, he simply held her hand, keeping his eyes glued to the one he loves.

It was at that moment that the first few rays of sunshine start to peek over the horizon, spreading their warmth over the two silent figures.

Finally finding his voice, Jeremie looked to the rising sun. " Just because you live your life between worlds, doesn't mean you can't enjoy life, Aelita. " He smiled. " To me, you are real, and don't try to tell me otherwise..."

Her gaze was averted, small droplets shining on her cheeks. " I'm sorry Jeremie, but I must. I'm just a collection of data borrowing a human form. I'm still not really alive."

" Aelita, you're not looking at the big picture. I fell in love with _you_." He began to lean forward, and before he could question it, his lips brushed against her cheek, whisking away the moisture coming from her eyes. A brief, fleeting kiss. " If I had to do things over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

1

Her hand went to her cheek, her earlier worries evaporating at the tender sensation. It had felt so warm, so loving, so real.

She looked up into his eyes, and though the question of her humanity still lingered in the back of her mind, she realized that as long as Jeremie was with her, she could feel as real as she wanted to be. And right now, she felt very real.

His gaze met hers again. " I love you, Aelita."

She smiled, a genuine smile. " And I love you, Jeremie."

She began to lean forward, noting him doing the same.

1

The sunlight crests, throwing it's light across the rooftop, illuminating the new couple embracing a new day.

The End

1

Finally, can you believe it? I finally got this done, and only over two months late. Well, this is the end of my trilogy, so what did you think? A positive ending for once, for all you Jeremie/Aelita fans out there, of which I am one. Anyway, if you read, please review. I like people's thoughts.


End file.
